Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/470

456 death, I was, O son of Gandhari, ill able to meet any living creature. O tiger among men, hearing of the fate that overtook Kunti, the world doth not regard Purochana so guilty as it regardeth thee! O king, the escape, therefore, of the sons of Pandu with life from that conflagration and their re-appearace, do away with thy evil repute I Know, O thou of Kuru's race, that as long as those heroes live, the wilder of the thunder himself cannot deprive them of their ancestral share in the kingdom ! The Pandavas are virtuous and united. They are being wrongly kept out of their equal share in the kingdom. If thou shouldst act rightly, if thou shouldst do what is agreeable to me, if thou shouldst seek the welfare of all, then give half the kingdom unto them !""

Thus ends the two hundred and fitth section in the Viduragamana Parva of the Adi Parva.

Vaisampayana said. —"After Bhishma had concluded, Drona spoke, saying.-'O king Dhritarashtra, it hath been beard by us that friends summoned for consultation should always speak what is right, true, and conductive to fame. O sire, I am of the same mind in this matter with the illustrious Bhishma. Let a share of the kingdom be given unto the Pandavas. This is eternal virtue. Send, O Bharata, unto Drupada without loss of time some messenger of agreeable speech, carrying with him a large-treasure for the Panda vas. And let the man go unto Drupada carrying costly presents for both the brigegrooms and the bride, and let him speak unto that monarch of thy increase of power and dignity arising from this new alliance with him. And, O monarch, let the man know also that both thyself and Duryyodhana have become exceedingly glad in consequence of what hath happened. Let him say this repeatedly unto Drupada and Dhrishtadyumna. And let him speak also about the alliance as having been exceedingly proper, and agreeable unto thee, and of thyself being worthy of it. And let the men repeatedly propitiate the sons of Kunti and those of Madri (in proper words), And at thy command. O king, let plenty of ornaments of pure gold be given unto Draupadi. And let, o bull of Bharata's race, proper presents be given unto all the sons of Drupada. Let the messenger then propose the return of the Pandavas to Hastinapura. After the heroes will have been permitted, (by Drupada) to come hither, let Dussa sana and Vikarna go out with a handsome train to receive them. And when they will have arrived at Hastinapura, let